Overnight cycle for horizontal axis clothes washer

ABSTRACT

A method and modified clothes washer provides for an overnight dry cycle. A standard washer is modified to draw air from external to the housing, direct the air into the tumbling drum, and remove the air with a blower to exhaust from the housing during an extended drying period overnight. By selecting this option, the consumer need not move the clothes from the washer to the dryer.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application is a Divisional Application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/151,820, filed Jun. 2, 2011.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

This disclosure relates to a clothes washer, and more particularly to a horizontal axis clothes washer that is also intended to dry a load of laundry in the washer. The drying cycle within the washer is a selectable feature by the consumer.

Combination units are already available in the marketplace. These types of units are intended to serve as both the primary clothes washer and primary clothes dryer in a single unit. These units are relatively expensive and slow. They are slow because the primary use of these units is to do both the washing and the drying function.

In certain instances, a consumer desires that a load of clothes be washed and also dried for the morning. If the load of clothes or laundry to be washed and dried for the morning is not started until late, the consumer would like to avoid staying up to transfer the load from the washer into the dryer before going to bed for the evening. Likewise, the consumer would like to have the clothes ready for work in the morning without having to get up any earlier in order to transfer the load from the washer to the dryer, and still leave sufficient time for the laundry to dry in a standard drying cycle.

Accordingly, a need exists for an overnight cycle for a washer that is intended to give the consumer a convenience option and without having to add undue expense to the washer.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

An optional overnight drying cycle that allows a consumer to dry the laundry without having to transfer to a separate machine during an extended overnight drying cycle.

A clothes washer includes a housing having a drum received in the housing for rotation about a substantially horizontal axis. The drum receives a load of laundry, and a controller includes a drying mode selection for providing subsequent drying in the drum after a wash cycle has been completed. A blower for introducing air from an outside source into the drum and directing air from the drum to the outside source is included.

The extended drying mode may have an operative drying period on the order of three (3) or more hours, and at a minimum, approximately two (2) hours.

The controller includes an operator interface for selecting an associated size of the laundry wherein the extended drying mode selection is available for small and medium loads only.

The clothes washer further includes a memory providing a predetermined time for the drying cycle responsive to information selected in the operator interface relating to the approximate number of garments. The clothes washer provides for a delayed starting of the washing and drying cycles whereby the drying cycle will occur in the same drum as the washing cycle without having to transfer the laundry load.

In one preferred arrangement, the clothes washer does not use a separate heater for drying.

In a preferred arrangement, the load of laundry is dried by tumbling the laundry through drum rotation and introducing a stream of air during the tumbling.

A blower is operated during a latter portion of the wash cycle in order to dry an interior of the drum.

The drying air path communicates with a drive motor of the drum so that heat is transferred from the drive motor to the air passing through the drum.

A preferred method of washing and drying laundry in a single apparatus includes a drum that rotates about a substantially horizontal axis. The method includes washing the laundry in the apparatus, drying the laundry in the same apparatus without removing the laundry from the drum, and where the drying step includes directing air from outside the apparatus into the drum and tumbling the laundry while the air is directed into the drum.

In one arrangement the drying step does not employ a separate heater.

In a preferred arrangement the drying step includes passing air from outside the apparatus adjacent a drum motor prior to introduction into the drum.

In a preferred arrangement, the air is not recirculated in the drying step.

The drying step is only available if the laundry is a small or medium load selection.

In another embodiment, an input requires a selection of an approximate number of laundry items in the load, and may further include a delay to the start of at least one of the washing and drying steps so that the laundry is completed in an overnight time period.

A primary benefit is the ability to efficiently and inexpensively wash a laundry load and dry the same load in the same apparatus.

Another benefit resides in the ability to at least dry the laundry load overnight without having to transfer the load from washer into a separate dryer.

Still another advantage is the limited modification needed to an existing washer in order to provide for the overnight drying capability.

Still other features and benefits of the present disclosure will become more apparent from reading and understanding the following detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a front-load washing machine with selected portions removed to illustrate and overnight dry sub-system.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the system, again with selected portions removed for ease of illustration.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the inlet and outlet ducting added to the drum.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the inlet ducting particularly illustrating the airflow path from outside of the housing to the drum.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the outlet ducting particularly illustrating an airflow path from the drum and through the exhaust blower to outside of the apparatus.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Turning initially to FIGS. 1-3, the washer 100 has a housing 102 that receives a drum 104 adapted for selective rotation relative to the housing. The drum has an access opening 106 that is selectively closed by a door (not shown) and the opening leads to an interior drum cavity 108 dimensioned to receive a load of laundry therein. The drum includes tumbling or beater bars 120 preferably at spaced locations along an inner surface of the drum so that as the drum rotates, the laundry undergoes a tumbling action to facilitate washing and also drying. As perhaps best seen in FIG. 2, the washer is referred to as a horizontal axis clothes washer where in point of fact, the rotational axis may not be exactly horizontal but is substantially horizontal as is known in the art. The drum is rotated by a motor (not shown) along a drive access 122 (FIG. 2). The introduction of water, detergent, and control of the movement of the drum during prewash, wash, rinse, spin cycles, etc. are all generally well-known in the art and controlled by a controller schematically represented by box 130 in FIG. 1. In addition, an interface or control panel has been removed for ease of illustration. The control panel serves as a user interface to allow the consumer to pick the type of wash that the laundry will undergo, again, in a manner generally well-known in the art so that further discussion herein is deemed unnecessary.

An overnight dry sub-system 200 is added to a standard front-load washing machine. The overnight dry sub-system 200 includes inlet ducting 210 that is shown in FIGS. 1-3 and more particularly illustrated in FIG. 4. The inlet ducting 210 includes an opening 212 extending through the housing, preferably through a rear surface thereof, that allows air from outside the housing to be drawn into the washing machine for introduction into the drum during the overnight dry cycle. If needed, a blower 214 (FIGS. 1-3) may be added to enhance movement of air from outside of the washer housing and into the drum. It is also contemplated that the inlet duct may be extended to pass in proximity or adjacent to the drive motor in order to pick up some latent heat through a heat exchange before introduction into the drum. Otherwise, it is intended that the air received from outside of the housing need not be subsequently heated before being introduced into the drum.

Outlet ducting 230 receives the air at a location spaced from the inlet duct. For example, the inlet is shown as introducing air along a read region of the drum while the outlet duct 230 receives air from the perimeter of the drum adjacent the front opening 106. The duct 230 leads to a blower such as centrifugal blower 232 that enhances movement of the drying air through the drum while the drum is rotated. As will be appreciated, during the overnight dry cycle, the drum is rotated by the motor to institute a tumbling action on the clothes or other laundry items. The air is received from outside the housing, directed through the drum, and then directed outwardly through the outlet ducting where it is reintroduced to a location outside of the housing. It is not intended that the air be re-circulated, but rather that a continuous through-path of air be established through the drum.

It is also contemplated that at the end of the wash cycle, air will be introduced through the overnight dry sub-system, and more particularly through the inlet duct work 210 in order to dry the inner surface of the drum.

In this modified washer, the washing time is relatively standard and thus operates in the same manner for the same time period. The drying time, however, is at least two to three times longer, and may be up to seven (7) hours for the drying cycle to be complete. This is particularly true when no heating element is used, rather just a blower and since no air is re-circulated. It is also intended for use with small to medium loads of laundry. For example, socks and a few shirts would entail a much shorter drying time if only a few garments are washed and in the drum for the overnight dry cycle. One option is to have the consumer input the approximate number of garments that are being dried. Presets will select the load types, whether they be cotton, synthetic, etc. and the additional selection of the approximate number of garments will allow these inputs to be compared with memory data to determine the approximate length of time for an overnight drying operation to be effective. If chosen by the consumer, the wash cycle would be completed in the typical fashion and then the clothes tumble dried within the washer over an extended period of time. Although this could be termed a combination washer-dryer unit, the intent here is to be wash only with this washer and only occasionally dry small to medium size loads when the overnight dry feature is selected. This satisfies the consumer's desire to have a load of clothes washed and dried for the morning by selecting the overnight dry cycle, and avoid having to stay up to transfer the load from the washer to the dryer before going to bed at night or to avoid having to awaken early in order to transfer the load from the washer to the dryer and complete the dry cycle early in the morning. The overnight cycle is deemed to be a selectable feature intended to give the consumer a convenience option. The unit is not intended to be the sole washing and drying unit in the home, but rather the washer only. Again, when the consumer has a small to medium load that is required to be done in the morning, this option would enable the consumer to use a slow, extended dry process with the washer to accomplish this drying task with a minimal design change made to a standard horizontal axis washer design. Adding a forced airflow across the clothes during a tumbling cycle as an overnight dry cycle will dry them in a relatively slow method, but create the opportunity for consumers to avoid having to transfer the clothes from the washer to the dryer to complete the laundry process.

The disclosure has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments. Obviously, modifications and alterations will occur to others upon reading and understanding the preceding detailed description. It is intended that the disclosure be construed as including all such modifications and alterations. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of washing and drying laundry in a single apparatus that includes a drum that rotates about a substantially horizontal axis, the method comprising: washing the laundry in the apparatus; and drying the laundry in the apparatus without removing the laundry from the drum and wherein the drying step includes directing ambient temperature air from outside the apparatus into the drum, and tumbling the laundry while the ambient temperature air is directed into the drum.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the drying step includes passing the air from outside the apparatus adjacent a drive motor prior to introduction into the drum.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the air is not recirculated in the drying step.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the drying step is only available if the laundry load is a small or medium load selection.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the drying step includes retaining the laundry in the drum up to seven hours after the washing step is complete.
 6. The method of claim 1, further comprising an input that requires selection of an approximate number of laundry items in the load.
 7. The method of claim 1, further comprising delaying a start of at least one of the washing and drying steps so that the laundry is completed in an overnight time period.
 8. A method for washing and drying articles disposed with a drum of an appliance, the method comprising: initiating a wash cycle of the appliance; directing liquid water into the drum of the appliance during the wash cycle; rotating the drum of the appliance during the wash cycle; starting a drying cycle of the appliance after the wash cycle of the appliance, the articles remaining within the drum of the appliance between the wash cycle and drying cycle; blowing air from outside the appliance into the drum of the appliance during the drying cycle; and spinning the drum of the appliance during said step of blowing.
 9. The method of claim 10, wherein a heating element does not operate to heat air within the drum of the appliance during the drying cycle.
 10. The method of claim 10, wherein said step of blowing comprises blowing ambient temperature air from outside the appliance into the drum of the appliance during the drying cycle.
 11. The method of claim 10, further comprising directing air from the drum out of the appliance during the drying cycle.
 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the air directed from the drum out of the appliance includes moisture from the articles within the drum of the appliance.
 13. The method of claim 10, further comprising passing the air from outside the apparatus adjacent a drive motor of the appliance during said step of blowing and prior to introduction into the drum.
 14. The method of claim 10, wherein air is not recirculated within the drum during the drying cycle.
 15. The method of claim 10, wherein the drying cycle lasts at least three hours from an end of the wash cycle.
 16. The method of claim 10, further comprising delaying a start of at least one of the wash cycle and the drying cycle so that the drying cycle is completed in an overnight time period.
 17. The method of claim 10, further comprising activating an air handler of the appliance during said step of blowing. 